Google strikes biochar carbon removal deal with Varaha

Google will buy carbon credits from an Indian initiative that turns large amounts of agricultural waste into biochar—a form of charcoal that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and returns it to the soil. The deal—signed by Google and Indian supplier Varaha—is one of the biggest ever involving biochar and is the tech giant’s first foray into India’s carbon dioxide removal (CDR) sector.

Google is one of a number of big tech companies looking to offset emissions through CDR, which refers to a range of interventions designed to remove CO2 already in the atmosphere and oceans. While some developers are looking at expensive new technologies that extract CO2 directly from the air, solutions like biochar could prove a cheaper near-term option. Varaha will buy waste from hundreds of smallholder farms in India and build reactors to convert it into biochar, which can sequester CO2 for hundreds of years. It will also be supplied to farmers as an alternative to fertilisers.

Google will buy 100,000 tons of carbon credits from now until 2030. CDR accounts for only a fraction of global carbon trading but is expected to grow rapidly as countries and corporations seek new ways to offset emissions. However, critics say CDR is no substitute for emission cuts. They also warn that solutions like biochar offer no guarantee the CO2 will be removed permanently.